Ron and Erick

Ron Bantz and Erick Hillman, portrayed by Doug Ballard and Don McManus, are a homosexual couple who run a bed-andbreakfast, The Sourdough Inn, just outside of Cicely. Much to his chagrin, Maurice (Barry Corbin), who disdains their "dysfunctional lifestyle," discovers that he has a lot more in common with them than he would care to admit, including a love of show tunes and gourmet cooking. Not conforming to all the stereotypes, however, Erick is a former Marine who was also a guard at the Tokyo embassy. Both thirtyish and former proprietors of a dog grooming business, they bought the inn from Maurice and turned it into a booming business geared towards Japanese vacationers.

The marriage of Ronald Arthur and Erick Reese took place May 2, 1994 (5.21 I Feel the Earth Move). It was one of the first gay weddings on TV. It caused a great deal of controversy in some viewing markets. Several CBS affiliates refused to air the episode.

See Doug Ballard's home page.

More on Doug Ballard and Don McManus on the TV Tome site.

References:
1
. now defunct A&E Northern Exposure site
2. Internet Movie Database
3. TV Weddings: An Illustrated Guide to Prime-Time Nuptials by Marisa Keller and Mike Mashon


Created 1/13/02 • Updated 3/19/02
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